Two friends from Bishop Auckland have teamed up to launch a new store in Darlington - and its familiar name has certainly caught the attention of passing shoppers.
Rakesh Kumar and Sai Chowdary are preparing to launch the Friends Convenience Store on Blackwellgate on Friday (November 22), in the former Durtona Kitchens and Bathrooms.
The duo - who have been friends themselves for two years after meeting in Newcastle - decided to take over the vacant unit in a bid to bring a new offering to the town’s Imperial Quarter.
And while you might not bump into Monica, Rachel, or Phoebe, the new shop will stock everything from sweets and drinks to bread and milk.
Coffee will also be served up inside the shop - but instead of a barista called Gunther pouring your hot beverage, the venue will have its own machine, available until 11pm.
The 26-year-old and 24-year-old say thousands has been spent revamping the empty space, which is set to remain open until 3am every day.
Rakesh told The Northern Echo this week: “We saw there was no other similar store nearby and spoke to a few people in the area.
“Most people around this area are here for their offices and want things like coffee and snacks. At the minute they need to walk 0.7 or 0.8 of a mile to get it.”
After weeks of works, the store is now set to serve its first customers on Friday.
Rakesh added: “We’ll be serving coffee from a vending machine in the shop until 11pm at night.
“We’re going to sell confectionary, so sweets, chocolate, biscuits, and pop, as well as e-cigarettes, tobacco, and vapes. We’ll also sell milk and bread.”
The pair first got the keys to the unit on October 15, and have been working hard with the help of the landlord and property agent.
They are currently in the process of applying for an alcohol license as works continue on getting the shopfloor ready for its first customers.
The store will have several offers on at a fixed price, including cans of Monster on offer for £1.49 instead of £1.69, or two for £3, with Red Bull cans up for grabs for £1 instead of £1.55 RRP.
Earlier this month, new signs were erected on the Blackwellgate unit for the store, with the name and logo being a clear nod to the popular 90s TV show of the same name.
While the font may be familiar to the American series’ logo, the difference lies in the red dots separating the letters.
Rakesh, who previously lived in Crook before going to Nottingham Trent University to complete a masters in quantity surveying, continued: “There is no issue for us to keep the Friends name.
“The only thing that is the same [as the show] is the font. We have changed the colour of the dots to a single colour of red, whereas the Friends logo has red, blue, and yellow.”
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